Jucy expands to meet surging tourist demand. Video / Jucy
Government has revealed plans to build a stronger, more sustainable tourism industry.
Yesterday, Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash shared a draft of the 'He Mahere Tiaki Kaimahi Better Work Action Plan', which aims to transform the tourism industry for employees, businesses and tourists.
What is the Better Work Action Plan?
The Better Work Action Plan is the first phase of the Tourism Industry Transformation Plan. It was opened for public consultation this week at the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand's annual conference in Nelson.
The plan was developed by the Industry Transformation Plan Leadership Group, which is made up of Government, industry, unions, and Māori.
Typically, jobs in tourism or hospitality have been seen as demanding, unreliable and poorly paid for employees, said Nash. Unsurprisingly, this has made it difficult for businesses to retain staff.
However, without a thriving workforce, the report stated, Aotearoa would not have a thriving tourism industry.
The goal then, according to Nash was to challenge the current perception and turn a career in tourism into something that is full of "aspiration, fulfilment and with attractive career pathways".
The Tourism Industry Transformation Plan outlines key actions to improve the sector. Photo / Tourism NZ
What does the Better Work Action Plan involve?
Simply put, the report "identifies challenges and sets out actions to overcome them," said Nash.
Some actions include: -Improving education, training and employee experience -Providing more resources for business owners and operators -Future-proofing the industry through technology and innovation -This includes a Tourism and Hospitality Accord to set employment standards -Developing cultural competency within the workforce
Why now?
New Zealand's tourism industry wasn't perfect before Covid-19 and Nash said the pandemic exacerbated these weaknesses.
However, this made now the perfect time to rebuild.
"Now our borders are fully open, there's a strong uptick in arrivals, and we're anticipating a surging summer of tourism," he said.
"It's time to look ahead to the future of the sector and ensure we do not just go back to the way things were, but learn from the challenges of the past few years and rebuild in a stronger and more sustainable way.
"The action plan sets out a vision for the New Zealand tourism sector that is regenerative - where tourism is giving back more than it takes from people, communities, and the environment."
When will the final plan be released?
Feedback will be accepted until 14 September. Then, after the ITP Leadership Group considers the feedback, it aims to release the final plan before the end of the year.
